文摘
Asinabka,the Algonquin term for Victoria and Chaudiere Islands situated in the Ottawa River just west of the Canadian Parliament Buildings) has been disputed territory since the arrival of European settlers in the 17th century. In the 1970s the National Capital Commission NCC) acknowledged Victoria Island as Algonquin land and designated it as the site for a National Indigenous Centre,including it among other Canadian landmarks on Confederation Boulevard. In the 1990s the NCC commissioned Architect Douglas Cardinal to begin developing a scheme for the centre. His latest design proposes a monumental building that incorporates the existing Union Carbide Mill ruins completely within it. In Lighting the Eighth Fire,I present a counterproposal for the National Indigenous Centre that acknowledges,is accountable to,and engages the Algonquins on Asinabka as fundamental members of our Canadian fabric. The design strategy is based on principles of restorative justice as defined by the Algonquin Nation,and weak thought as interpreted by Gianni Vattimo,with the intention of formulating a moment of reconciliation and reinvigoration.